Help in Identifying 18th Century Hallmark

[criticalfriend]

I normally purchase Georgian silver but a cased pair of serving spoons caught my attention being period engraved F F 1767. The hallmarks are rubbed and I am at a loss as to even the country of origin, let alone attempting to identify the place and year of manufacture. What I assume to be the maker's mark appears to be BBA, PBA or even FBA.

I am working on the assumption that manufacture pre dates 1767. My initial hunch was Austrian, I have ruled out Russian, even toyed with French and I am now seeing shapes where none exist, perhaps not the time to do an ink blob test.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
http://www.flickr.com/photos/criticalfriend/10052861903/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/criticalfriend/10052888163/

Apologies if I should not have used a link but when I tried posting an image I was getting the message 'image dimensions could not be found'

[oel]

Hi welcome to the forum,

Some of us do not click on links and embedded images getting a better response.
I have embedded your image of the marks;



Oel.

[criticalfriend]

Many thanks Oel, appreciated. Perhaps someone might now recognise the 'profile' of the hallmark and at least I'll have a clue as to the country of origin.

[amena]

Do you can see some resemblance to this mark?
It is the mark of Rome around 1760

However, I must say that the number 1 of the engraving does not "sound" very Italian

Regards
Amena

[criticalfriend]

Thank you Amena. I must say that I do see a resemblance or maybe I just want to see a resemblance but it wins my gratitude and until it can be bettered I believe that I may well have acquired a matching pair of serving spoons made in the Papal States in the early 1760s. They came in a fitted case but that carries the mark of a 19th century Jeweller in Hull. A fisherman in search of his EU quota perhaps ;)

Thank you for your time and effort - it just goes to show the benefit of shared knowledge. I hope to reciprocate one day.

[Francais]

Hi
You seem to have taken a picture of the same mark twice, each spoon is marked, perhaps you should take a picture of the marks on the other spoon too.
Also it is very important to include a picture of the two spoons, one right side up, the other upside down. Spoon styles often change from country to country and it helps to know where to look for the mark. Finally you should use something to diffuse the light, an opaque milk carton oar some white linen. The hot spot on your photograph obscures the mark.
Maurice

[Theoderich]

Hi welcome to the forum,

Some of us do not click on links and embedded images getting a better response.
I have embedded your image of the marks;



Oel.

nice Riga spoon
from Friedrich BErnhard Albers (1751-1759)
ref. Lativijas Sudrabkali (Goldschmiede Lettlands), no179

Best Wishes Theo

[Theoderich]

OK the jear 1767 is probably right.
D = 1764-1768

He will mentioned 1751-1779.

[criticalfriend]

Thank you everyone for your sterling efforts (pun intended, though it’s probably a lower grade of silver). Oel, for embedding my photograph. Maurice, for some useful tips on diffusing the light and showing items in their entirety in the future. Amena, for recognising that the profile was indeed a pair of cross keys and Theo for bringing all of the elements together:
Cross keys for Riga, D for 1764 to 1768 and identifying the maker as Friedrich Bernhard Albers from a rubbed F and a clear BE.

I’ve managed to verify the information provided and found that Christies have this week auctioned a bowl by the same maker http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-baltic-silver-bowl-mark-of-5720466-details.aspx though they attribute Friedrich Bernhard Albers as a maker active between 1768 and 1780.

I wouldn’t expect my humble spoons to command such a premium over the silver content but they were obviously treasured once as they came in a presentation box made in the late 19th century in Kingston Upon Hull on the Yorkshire coast, a place with strong maritime connections with the Baltic.

Each spoon measures 57g and is 200mm in length

[Qrt.S]

A minor comment:
Albers who was born in Bauska marked 1763-1778 in Riga. During the years 1751-1759 he was journeyman with master Johan Christian Henk also in Riga. He started to work with Johan Christoph Zincke/Zingk/Cinke in 1763 and became master. Zincke was alderman 1764-1768 (D). The town mark of Riga has above the crossed keys a small cross. This town mark was used to 1843.